From enjoying a bowl of she-crab soup to learning to make your grandmother’s cornbread, South Carolina is undoubtedly a state where we cherish our connection to food. Many of us identify our culture with the foods we prepare, eat, and enjoy. A draw for tourists and residents alike, our culinary traditions are deeply ingrained and have helped to make South Carolina the place it is today.

You probably know by now that SCIway takes a road trip each month. What you may not have known is how important our lunch stop is to us. From small-town eateries to big-city bistros, we’ve been lucky to sample a smorgasbord of tastes throughout our state. So when John Singh, Elloree’s town administrator, emailed us and mentioned that the Elloree Heritage Museum was hosting an exhibit called Key Ingredients: America By Food, our taste buds were intrigued.

	ELLOREE SHOPS		SNIDER CABIN REPLICA		ELLOREE LOYNS PARK

Key Ingredients is a traveling exhibit sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution which highlights the connections we make through the foods of our everyday meals and celebrations. Using photographs, illustrations, and artifacts, Key Ingredients underlines the importance of food in American culture. From advances in farming to technological improvements in our kitchens, the exhibit goes beyond simply what is on our plates to explore the various regional, historical, and social factors that contribute to the diversity of our foodways.

We also had the pleasure to discover the rest of the Elloree Heritage Museum, with its complete cotton gin, life-size dioramas, and welcoming staff. It was a wonderful experience that we would recommend to anyone. Key Ingredients was appropriate for the Elloree museum, which focuses heavily on the agriculture and food of the region.

With food on our minds, we finished our tour of the museum, and walked across the street to have lunch at Amporns Thai Cuisine. Who would think a town as small as Elloree has one of the best Thai restaurants in the state? After lunch we walked around town and peeked into the many antique stores. While exploring, we happened to bump into John, the reader who suggested our trip. He shared some tidbits on happenings around Elloree and showed us the old town jail. It was a pleasure for us to meet one of our readers in person and discover yet another delightful SC town.

	HERITAGE MUSEUM COTTON GIN		ELLOREE TOWN CLOCK		OLD ELLOREE TOWN JAIL

Throughout our roadtrips in the state, we’ve always been welcomed warmly by passionate folks who are excited to share their local knowledge with us. It’s yet another reminder that across South Carolina, fascinating stories abound, waiting to be discovered if you stray from the interstate and explore.

Be sure to check out the Elloree photo gallery from our trip.

If you’re interested in seeing Key Ingredients for yourself, you can catch it at the following SC museums:

• Elloree Heritage Museum and Cultural Center - Orangeburg County - June 27-August 10, 2008
• Belton Area Museum Association - Anderson County - August 15-October 5, 2008
• South Carolina State Fair - Columbia - October 8-19, 2008
• National Bean Market Museum - Lake City, Florence County - October 24-December 21, 2008
• Edgefield County Peach Museum - Johnston - January 9-March 1, 2009
• Edisto Island Museum - Charleston County - March 6-May 9, 2009